


Bittersweet Tea

by xichaguan



Category: Hana Yori Dango & Related Fandoms, 流星花園 | Meteor Garden (TV 2018)
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 14:12:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15842949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xichaguan/pseuds/xichaguan
Summary: Xiao You was surprised. She was just feeling sleepy and yawning in class when her lecturer introduced a guest speaker for their history class today.





	Bittersweet Tea

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot fic set BEFORE Xiaoyou's confession.  
> Ximen and Xiaoyou in Meteor Garden 2018 played by Caesar Wu and Li Jiaqi.

Xiao You was surprised. She was just feeling sleepy and yawning in class when her lecturer introduced a guest speaker for their history class today. 

"Mr. Xi Men Yan, who just graduated Mingde University, is a well known tea ceremony master. He is the 16th generation in his family. Today, he will talk about the tea ceremony in Tang dynasty and how the Japanese brought our tea culture to their home country."

Her eyes wide opened. Xi Men swept off his gaze through the class and when his eyes met hers, he smiled to her. She smiled back. Xiaoyou's classmate who is sitting next to her is trying to hold back herself from squealing. 

"Oh my god, Xiaoyou, he's so handsome..." her classmate behind her also squealing  
"Who is he??" another classmate whispered,  
"You don't know?? He's an F4 member from Mingde University... the most popular group of good-looking guys and they graduated with outstanding grades too,"  
"Are you seriousss??!"  
"Xiaoyou, didn't you tell me you have a highschool friend who goes to Mingde, omg your friend is so lucky, she get to see this beautiful man everyday!?"  
Xiaoyou smiled bitterly, "I don't think she meet him everyday..."  
"But have you heard about F4 before? Have you met them before?"  
Xiaoyou asked herself in her head, "Should I tell them that I even went for a trip to Canada with F4?"  
"Well?? Have you?"  
"Oh uhhh... two of them stopped by at my work place to buy some milk tea once... that's all..." 

Xiaoyou is feeling so funny her classmates went head over heels for Ximen, while in fact, she has visited his house twice now. Somehow, she is feeling a bit proud she know this guy personally. Suddenly she realized Ximen was glancing at her, when their eyes met, she looked away. His gaze always felt electrifying. It's not that she has any special feelings for him. But somehow... it always makes her nervous. Maybe cause he is too handsome. 

When the class is over, Xiaoyou was thinking about going over to Ximen to talk to him, but what she did not expect was that, there were about ten girls already crowding him before she even stood up from her seat. She picked up her bag and started to walk closer toward him, but too many girls crowding him asking him questions about tea culture in Tang dynasty they are not actually really interested about. Ximen answered their questions with a big, handsome smile and he is very friendly to them. 

Xiaoyou smiled and sighed, maybe I should just go now, Ximen is too popular. She turned around and head for the class exit.  
"Xiaoyou, wait!" Ximen called her.  
Xiaoyou was surprised and turned around.  
"I'm very sorry... I have to go now, good luck with your tea studies!" he said to the girls.  
He picked up his bag and approached Xiaoyou, "You were gonna leave me like that like a stranger?"  
"No, no! I didn't mean that." she glanced at the girls who are now looking at them surprised and unhappy, Xiaoyou whispered, "You look busy... so, I--"  
Ximen chuckled, "No worries. Do you need a ride? Where are you going now?"  
"I have work shift at 6pm with Shancai,"  
"Its still 4pm now,"  
"Yes, I'm thinking of stopping by at this new ice cream place with Japanese matcha (green tea) flavor,"  
Ximen laughed, "What?"  
"Are you mocking me??"  
"No, no... that just sounds... cute... I'll escort you there, then!"  
"What? No, no, please don't, you must be busy, I don't want to..."  
"Xiaoyou... if I'm busy I won't offer you... besides, I'm a tea guy, I'd like to taste it too" he gave her the sweetest smile.  
Somehow, her heart beat faster when she see him smiling to her.  
"Re--really? Okay then..." she smiled.

They arrived in the Kyoto Ice Cream store that just opened last week. The store is decorated in Japanese style. "Welcome!" Xiaoyou smiled to the store clerk, "Hello... this is my first time here..."  
"Welcome, thank you for coming! This store specialized in green tea so we only have green tea flavoured ice cream. As for the flavor, we have 7 level of bitterness," she explained.  
Ximen whispered to Xiaoyou, "Seven level of bitterness!?"  
She smiled to the clerk "Oh really? Okay... I see you are selling green tea powder too," she looked at the rack behind her.  
"Yes, we are! We just imported them from Japan last week. We also serve green tea drinks here if you are interested,"  
Xiaoyou smiled and glanced at Ximen, then she turned back to the clerk, "Okay then... can I have the 5th level ice cream, and also the green tea drink, please?" she turned to Ximen, "Ximen, what are you having?"  
"Uhhh...." he turned to the clerk, "1st level please,"  
"1st level!?" she laughed.  
"Are you mocking me??"  
"No, no... its okay,"  
"Thank you, Miss, would you mine to scan the barcode?"  
"Oh here, let me..." Ximen pulled out his phone.  
"No, no, don't,"  
"Xiaoyou, its my treat, okay?"  
"Oh... thank you..."

"This is really good!! Waaa... I love this!" Xiaoyou eating her ice cream happily, she looked at Ximen. He looks unhappy, "Ximen, you are frowning...you don't like it?"  
"Yeah its okay..." he said, eating his ice cream with a frowned face.  
"Ximen, be honest with me..."  
"I cannot stand green tea taste...."  
"Really?? Why?" she's surprised.  
"The bitterness... I can't stand it..." he frowned.  
Xiaoyou is holding back her laugh, "And you call yourself a tea master?"  
"Hey most Chinese tea are sweet and has nice taste! I'm not a Japanese!"  
Xiaoyou giggled, "I see,"  
Ximen observed her face closer, "You like this bitter taste? I thought you love milk tea?"  
"Yes I love milk tea, but I also love green tea, is it not okay?" she asked with a smile.  
"Of course its okay... I just find it interesting for a cute-looking girl like you loving extra bitter taste like this,"  
Xiaoyou pouted. She always feel flattered everytime he praises her cute, but she always try to ignore since maybe he say that to every girl.  
"Why can't I love both sweet and bitter stuff? Just like you, who drink all kind of wine, right?"  
Ximen nod, "That's true..."  
"I'm surprised you don't like green tea, I thought you like all-kind for everything?" she asked.  
Ximen was thinking for awhile and then he answered, "I don't know... maybe its the bitter taste... I'm used to sweet tea since childhood..."  
"Interesting, now I know one more thing about you," she smiled.  
"What?"  
She shook her head, then she asked, "Then why are you coming with me? I told you its green tea flavor,"  
He smiled while putting the last spoonful of the ice cream left in his cup into his mouth.  
Then he looked up to her, "Maybe... I just wanted to go on a date with you?"  
Her heart pound so loud she can hear it in her ears.  
She looked down, "Is this... a date?" she glanced at him.  
He placed his right hand on his jaw, "Do you want this to be a date?" he smiled.  
She looked down, smiling shyly, "I don't know..." she looked up to him, "Do you want this to be a date, Ximen?"  
He moved his face closer to hers, "Why wouldn't I want to go on a date with a cute girl like you?"  
She feel her heart pounding harder and she looked down cause his face got close to hers.  
Ximen chuckled, "You're blushing, so cute,"  
"What? No way!" she put her both hands on her cheeks, "I'm not blushing, stop teasing me!"  
He touched her nose with his finger, "It's your nose that's red!" he laughed.  
She grabbed his finger and pushed it away, "Stop it, I don't believe you!" she pouted.  
The clerk came to their table, "Miss, your additional order,"  
"Ah? Oh! Thank you!" she smiled.  
"You ordered another cup?" he asked.  
She nod, "Um! Taste it!" she pushed the cup toward him, "Its 2nd level,"  
"I'm okay,"  
"Come on, Ximen, taste it... here..." she took a spoonful and stretched it out to Ximen.  
"I'm good."  
"Come on, you've tried 1st level.. so now you have to step up to 2nd level,"  
Ximen sighed and let her pushed the spoon into his mouth.  
He's shocked and choked, "This is horrible! You tricked me! This isn't 2nd level, is it!?" he stick out his tongue.  
Xiaoyou laughed, "I got you! It's 7th level!"  
Ximen's face terribly frowning and he is still sticking out his tongue.  
Xiaoyou handed him a cup, "Here, water,"  
He drank it, and spit out a drop, "This is real green tea!!"  
Xiaoyou laughed while clapping, "Ximen, your face is so funny!"  
"Jiang Xiaoyou!! You dare playing prank on me!?"  
"You teased me just now. This is my revenge," she giggled. 

From the ice cream shop, he drove her to the Talents Tea Shop where she works.  
Before she get off his car, she thanked him, "Thank you, Ximen, it was really fun!"  
"Really? Should we do it again?"  
"Are you asking me out on a date?" she smiled.  
"It depends..."  
Xiaoyou smiled, "Okay, I have to go, thank you so much for the treat! I owe you one! Byebye!" she left his car.  
She is still feeling her heart beating fast. She is not sure of the reason and she keep telling herself, Jiang Xiaoyou, you cannot fall in love with this man. Shan Cai have warned you so many times about him. But a part of her knows she already fell...

Ximen was driving his car when he picked up the phone as it was ringing. "Hello Ximen? Do you wanna meet up tonight?" it's one of the girls he met at the bar the other day.  
"Oh hi... sorry, um, not tonight..."  
"Why? You told me you will be free tonight?"  
"I'm just... not in the mood..."  
"Okay, tomorrow?"  
"I'll call you tomorrow," he hung up, he looked at his phone and asked himself, "Did I just turn down this hot chick?"

He arrived at Dao Ming Si's place.  
"Heyy... where have you been? We are meeting here at 5pm, remember?" Meizuo asked.  
"Oh sorry, something came up..."  
"You didn't even pick up your phone... you were with a girl??"  
Ximen didn't answer, sit on the couch and checked his phone. 

A message from Xiaoyou. "It was fun talking to you today. Thank you so much for the treat, Ximen! Please let me treat you next time. And sorry for tricking you to eat the bitter ice cream!"

Meizuo snatched away his phone without warning.  
"Ohhh so you're seeing Xiaoyou now?"  
"What??? You're dating Xiaoyou?" Ah Si joined in the couch.  
Ximen snatched back his phone, "Nooo... i just happened to be a speaker at her campus,"  
"And..? What is that ice cream about?"  
"We went to a green tea flavored ice cream shop..."  
"You went on a date with her?" Ah Si asked.  
"Look we just happen to have common topic to talk about, okay? We're just good friends" Ximen denied.  
"Good friends huh... okay..."  
"It's just tea, really..."  
Meizuo put his arm around Ximen's shoulder, "Dude, everything can start from a cup of tea,"  
Ah Si started mimicking a girl's voice, "I wonder if Ximen likes me? Does he like me? Or is it really just tea?? I'm so nervous!"  
Meizuo turned to Ah Si, "Xiaoyou, actually... I..."  
"No, Ximen we can't! We're just friends!!" Ah Si continued his girl act.  
"Xiaoyou!!" Meizuo hugs Ah Si.  
"Ximen!!" he hugs him back.  
"These two idiots... Goodbye!" Ximen is heading toward the door.  
"Heyyy, where you going!" Meizuo called him.

"Ximen... don't try too hard to suppress your feelings..." Lei who was sitting next to the door said to him.

Ximen wrinkled his forehead, "What are you talking about?? Are you in this with them??" he shook his head and walked out.

THE END


End file.
